By Jeff Van Ess, Johnson Controls
So a doctor says to his patient, “I have bad news and worse news. Which do you want first?”
“The bad news, I guess,” replies the visibly shaken patient.
“The tests show you’re suffering from an incurable disease and have 48 hours to live.”
“Oh no! What could possibly be worse than that?” the patient asks.
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since yesterday,” answers the physician.
Does that story remind you of anything? How about this: the bad news is we’re in the midst of a global energy crisis. And the worse news is we’ve also got a problem with water. Take California for example.
With the state now in its third consecutive year of severe drought, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently proclaimed a state of emergency. Likening the water crisis to an earthquake or raging wildfire, the governor called for urgent upgrades to the state’s water infrastructure to ensure a clean and reliable water supply, and avoid mandatory rationing.
And here’s the kicker: California is by no means alone in this. Thirty six states face the possibility of suffering similar water shortages in the next five years. Thirty six states.
So what’s the solution? Here’s a hint: it’s the fastest and easiest to implement, and it’s the same solution to the energy crisis: efficiency now. Just like we need to squeeze everything we can out of every ounce of energy we consume, we need to be getting the most out of every single drop of water we use.
In California, the governor’s plan includes retrofit programs for all state facilities and a moratorium on new landscaping projects at state buildings that don’t incorporate efficient irrigation techniques. The state also has called on federal and local governments to implement immediate water use reduction plans for all their facilities.
Do you know what California – and, for that matter, every state in the nation – needs right now? More cities like Tulare.
Located in the state’s farm-rich Central Valley, a couple hours north of LA, Tulare has taken bold steps to dramatically cut its water use. State law requires all California cities to install water meters on all homes and commercial buildings by 2025. You think Tulare is going to wait that long? Think again.
Smart city officials in Tulare know that farmers, business owners and residents who don’t have water meters – and many in Tulare didn’t – can’t tell how much water they’re using. What they can’t measure, they can’t control, right?
Studies also show that just installing a meter can cut a property owner’s water use by 15%. So that’s exactly what Tulare is doing – years ahead of the deadline. In the last 18 months, we worked with the city to install 18,000 water meters that have radio transmitters. The transmitters enable city employees to read the meters without even getting out of their vehicles, and they’re much more accurate. They also help detect leaks quickly – before water losses mount. We’ve installed high-efficiency fixtures in municipal buildings to cut the city’s own water use and set an example for everyone else.
And here’s the best part: much of the cost of all this was covered by increasing city revenues through more accurate water meter readings, by lowering water usage to the point at which the city could put off drilling new and expensive water wells, and by cutting energy and operational costs through lighting upgrades and other energy-saving measures.
Every city in America should follow this lead. And every other government body, every school district, every commercial business. While the energy crisis certainly demands our urgent attention, we can’t afford to ignore the water crisis that is just as severe and which will have, in the words of Governor Schwarzenegger, “a devastating impact on our people.”
The answer is efficiency now. It’s never been more important.
What do you think?
